Jump to more content from this blog
About this blog
PM The evening news and current affairs programme presented by Eddie Mair.
iPM The programme that starts with its listeners. Join the discussions online and contribute ideas for a weekly programme presented by Eddie Mair and Jennifer Tracey.
The PM Privacy Commission
Read the final report of the PM Privacy Commission.
- Full Audio and Transcripts
- Hugh Tomlinson QC
- Zac Goldsmith MP
- Max Mosley
- Stephen Abell
- Hugh Grant
- Sir Charles Gray
- Alan Rusbridger
- Helen Wood
- Max Clifford
- Marcus Partington
- John Kampfner
- Christopher Graham
- Louise Mensch
- Andy Trotter
- John Mullin
- Avril Sanders Royle
- Jimmy Wales
Meet the commissioners, view the terms of reference and hear the Commission Chair Sir Michael Lyons explain his approach.
RSS feed
Email us
Listen to PM
Where is the strap line today on the top of the Blog?
As far as service stations goes - a necessary evil. They are necessary but most are evil
Uniformly DIRE, coffee undrinkable - except for Tebay, which is not only on the way home, but wonderful.
A blog during the broadcast? My, you are getting good at this, Eddie :-)
As for service stations, I find them a necessary nuisance. I think something more like the European model, where there are a lot more petrol stations with small restaurants or just hot food for sale, along with areas to park, would be a lot better. Service stations are becoming too large, almost becoming shopping centres. That's not what I want when I'm travelling from A to B...
I love it and its so reasonable all day breakfast inedible from only£10!
Compared to France and Belgium our motorway services are nothing short of awful. You can get a good reasonably priced meal in a continental motorway service area that is not a shopping mall with cheap consumables.
For once the continent shows us the way to do it properly.
Motorway service stations in general are expensive, crowded, often dirty, and to be avoided in general.
HOWEVER - the ones where the Old Firm (as always referred to by my grannie - meaning M&S) trade are a different matter. It's so great to find good, fresh food available without the huge bills ... Just wish they served coffee.
Overpriced, food is less than edible, and loos are often disgusting.
I use them as a last resort
What about the fuel price cartel at the service stations?
Motorway services are a disaster area of overpriced mainly poor quality food - and now come with a betting shop!!!
Do we need this ??
Graeme
Having travelled by car to holiday in France numerous times it is a relief to get to the other side of the channel and to visit decent catering facilities at sensible prices where the staff actually cook and prepare the fresh food on site. Nothing special but all things that do not occur in the Uk where fast food franchises and astonishing prices truly beggar belief.
Motorway service stations should be small and every half hour like they are in France, so that people can use the toilet whenever they want to.
Our service stations are huge and the toilets are always at the very back which is bad for people with walking disabilities.
Being involved in the haulage industry, and as concerned as all members of the public about the dangers of over-tired lorry drivers, motorway service stations should be free to park in and rest over night in rather than charging astronomical parking fees for anything over a short period. They are free in France and most of the continent - why does the Uk always offer such a poor service and charge over the odds for the priviledge?
Motorway services - yet another excuse for the government to give some company a license to rip off the public
Mway service stations are to be avoided at all costs. We arm ourselves with a 'Good Pub Guide' and a National Trust handbook - one or the other usually comes up with something a short detour from the mway. Large supermarkets can often be spotted from the mway, and while probably not much better in terms of culinary delights, at least you are not paying through the nose for them.
We try to avoid British motorway service stations as much as possible. Living in Cumbria I must exempt the Westmorland services at Tebay from my criticism, but it is too near home to be useful. On the "Money Programme last week it was singled out for its high quality, and proved that its independence is an asset. The others are a disgrace. All that noise when people should be given an opportunity to calm down, franchises for the food we are told are bad for us, slot machines, and shops, which the owners want to make bigger! I agree about continental ones, with their superior food. However French lavatory arrangements are distinctly inferior to ours. I also like the peaceful French Aires that are unmanned with plenty of peaceful parking. Travelling in the uk however, it is much better to look on the major food retailers' websites and as they are nearly always near a motorway exit use them instead, with much cheaper food, and clean loos.
Invaluable for pricey petrol/diesel top-ups and weewee breaks. Otherwise ghastly
Three cheers for Egon Ronay! I agree with everything that he said. I stopped at a Moto service station on a long journey in terrible weather from Reading to the Lake District. The service station comprised Harry Ramsbottoms fish and chips, a burger bar and one other fast food outlet. Being a veggie I couldn't get a meal and instead of a decent cup of coffee I had to settle for some terrible stuff at the burger bar in awful seedy surroundings. In the past, I think that service stations had started to improve with a single area where one could get a sandwich, salad, pizza or meat & two veg etc. But now it seems to be just franchises for fast food. I'm sure that this is simply for ease of management and profits over customer service. And as for that rep of the industry bleating about "signing", well that just seems to confirm that their prioriites and aims are profit without concern for customers. But thank you Mr Ronay - you speak for me and, I'm sure, for very many others.
Egon Ronay is 100% right; the food at motorway service stations tends to be unspeakably bad and expensive too; there is little or no cooking, and most of what passes for catering is simply the bottom of the heap in quality of the big name franchises. The last time I tried one, it was at an unwelcome Welcome Break, the menu was mostly greasy and horrible confections, so i left with just an expensive cup of tea, and decided to save my hunger for my destination, an hour and a half away. Your representative of this organisation on PM tonight sounded horribly complacent. The loos I visited at one of his outlets last year were terrible too. No wonder he doesn't want more competition! The one saving grace on motorways now is the presence of Marks & Spencer Foods at some stops. Why not offer freshly cooked foods, run by competent chefs at motorway service stations? If people are prepared to pay high prices for rubbish, as at present, they should be prepared to pay for good quality food, freshly cooked, perhaps including local specialities and produce of the area.
How can we persuade the guy who owns stott hall farm in the middle of the m62 at Booth Wood reservoir (google earth it, you'll love it) to open his kitchen for some proper food. He seems to be the only person capable of resisting the drive (oops) to Motorway cultural oblivion. I'll do spaghetti if someone else will take care of spuds.
If by 'service' you mean 'part motorists from their money in return for overpriced junk food' then I'd say they're fab.
If you are traveling on the motorways wouldn’t it be normal to expect that each service station could provide local fresh regional food to provide a flavour of the variety of real food available throughout the UK. But no, plastic overpriced processed fatty and sugared food is the norm. Who decided that it is a good idea to sell sandwiches up to 3 days old?
Service stations can only be recommended for their toilets.
The only decent thing about service stations are those with a Costa and also those with a Simply Marks and Spencer where you'll get much better value and quality food than the service station restaurants.
Consider: The wonderful Roadside Caravan at Junction 25 M5 on the road to Ilminster sources its bacon/eggs/bread etc locally and produces the finest butties this side of Tuktoyaktuk. [That will be a free one guys next time I am by]
One mouthwatering butty and a cuppa for under £3.00 while 5 miles down the road you would be lucky to buy anything as satiating for under a tenner.
Let in local talent in whatever form - farmers markets - butty bars - greengrocers etc etc. If they are going to be shopping malls let them be shopping malls a la market halls of old - see the covered markets in say Cardiff et al - you would be well fed and be able to pick up local produce and local colour too!!!
It is said only the large franchises can afford the rent - well the Taxpayer paid for the site so surely the rates can be adjusted?
A large paper mug of tea for £1.79. Why not a choice of size (large tea = more loo stops), china cups, and, oh so old fashioned, tea pots?
As for using MSS on the first day of a school holiday, well forget it. The staff are always so surprised that they are extra busy. We teh long sffering public end up in long queues with the usual poor quality, highly priced food.
Who wants beef stew and dumplings on a hot day in summer?
M6: The only decent ones are Tebay north and south, which do feature local food and are locally owned and managed, but now only have a shadow of their former virtue and have gone just as pricey as any of the rest. Ahhh for the old days! It's also sometimes worth going to the truckstops (jct 38, I think) and the original Tebay, for which you have to leave the motorway. Cheaper, even if no less greasy.
Best to stay .
xx
ed
I would like nice food and frequent toilet breaks (you do once you pass 40 - Ed?). BUT - there's something seedily romantic about Motorway Service stations. The food is awful, the coffee dreadful ... I love them. It's like being cut off from civilisation with stiff legs.
Mary
One more vote for wonderful Tebay - we always stop going north and south. Otherwise uniformly depressing, poor quality, overpriced food, worn out loos and extortionately priced petrol.
In need of serious reform/rethink.
And I didn't know about lorry drivers having to pay - that seems scandalous.
Well done Egon. They are hideous places that sell overpriced junk food and even more overpriced fuel. The loos are often disgusting and the shops full of rubbish. If HMG wants to reduce obesity in the general population it should demand that these 'service' stations are limited to one junk food outlet and that they provide good quality, freshly prepared, healthy food.
I agree that we need far more stops on the major routes in order to encourage competition. Perhaps government should also limit the number of outlets that any one company can manage?
"one more than one thousand six hundred and fifty nine..."
Is that 16,000?
Do I detect a degree of commonality in the great British traveller--to whit that travelling elsewhere than within the septic isle is easier, cleaner and can be gastronomically pleasing?
Sorry this one's frank and to the point.
If I want to go to a Fun Fair and eat s**t food, then I'll go to a Fun Fair.
Was it Bill or was it Ben.
On Friday evening I'll be driving 250 miles and will stop at at least one motorway service station but only for the toilets and a leg-stretch.
As a vegetarian the choice is limited to a near-frozen cheese pasty or something from a franchised burger bar ie nothing.
Maybe there's more choice if I go into the "restaurant" but I just want a short break. I'm going away for the weekend and I want to spend my time getting there rather than eating reheated, overpriced muck.
Before I set off I'll treat myself to a mid-journey snack and drink from M&S. Fresher, more choice, cheaper.
Motorway services - good to have somewhere safe and well-lit to stop if you're travelling on your own at night, and the toilets are usually clean.
BUT...
Other than that, they are tacky, full of slot machines and the food is severely overpriced and often unhealthy (except the M&S food shops which are a welcome change).
I've not visited any abroad recently, but a huge latte in Rome's main railway station last year cost me around 50p and the equivalent in a UK motorway services would probably be double the price and half as nice.
The only plus side to the motorway services are that they are always open, feel fairly safe, & the toilets are generally clean. We travel a lot of very unsociable hours (midnight & later) so finding any nearby hotel or supermarket open isn't likely. But I do agree the atmosphere of the services is usually terrible. It sums up the worst things about the UK - altogether, instantly, in one place! Horrible amusement machines, noisy when you've just had the noise of the car for hours. Smells of junk food. Whinging children being snapped at by irritable parents who then buy them a load of brightly-coloured sugar-coated e-numbers from the shop, washing it down with a can of sugar-enriched e-numbers. Fake "souvenirs" for tourists, probably made in China. All of it overpriced. Nerve-jangling music over the tannoy.
Apart from that, we love 'em! Excellent places to park, drink from your thermos, & eat your sandwiches you brought from home.
Another vote for Tebay, the only place I regularly use in frequent trips from Telford to Newcastle.
Hoot, of steam trains leaving platform n. And I have photos of the most famous trains leaving platform 1...
Just follow the link to see why the last of the old fogies still is around on such matters....
Can someone please explain why the cost of Mcdonalds, Burger king even confectionary in the shop is approx 50% higher then everywhere else.
The turnover of these places is hugely greater than most other shops so surely they can sell at normal recommended retail prices. I bet they don't spend the money in wages to all the east europeans they bus in to staff them.
If I travel by motorway it is normally because I want to get somewhere fast, so fast food fine. If I want a quality meal, I find the time to relax and enjoy it. Sorry Egon, but motorways and quality food are just not compatible
Service stations provide free loos and picnic areas for the masses, a job that they do well. They also provide emergency fuel for those that fail top plan in advance.
What do I think of motorway service stations? I seldom think of them at all. If one takes the train for lengthy journeys one has no need to use these facilities. Just a thought.
Totally agree with everything said about Tebay and M & S outlets. I avoid the M way services wherever possible by heading for the nearest Sainsburys/Tescos or Morrisons Cafe where they sell edible food and hot drinks at sensible prices. They too have regularly inspected conveniences. Also you can buy bottled water, and fruit etc.. to take with you whilst you are there. Maybe the M way service franchises should be run by various high street Supermarkets in direct competition. It's the ( competition) that's missing!
I seem to have got lost. Please will someone point me towards the beach?
Please?
...they have you by the proverbial acorns, a captive market so they don't really care what you think. In my (much) younger days I was an area manager for a well known burger chain (think big yellow M) and the service level was "pack 'em in" because they have to spend money there and then, they can't walk out and go somewhere else.
Even with some competition in some service stations the quality of product and general service levels are miserable (imhe). Service does not have to be excellent as most retailers view service station custmers as non-returning, i.e. the customer is probably on a long trip never to return regardless of the 'user experience'.
here you go Lady P
PS love your strap line
/blogs/pm/2006/11/welcome_to_the_new_beach.shtml
Lady P,
You are on the strapline. What more do you want?
Just going totally off topic.....
Anyone listen to 'One' ?
What a load of tosh - except for the shipping forcast parodies - and they would have been even better read by Sea Green...
Mrs T (44) Thank you xx
Overregulated said the man! Overpriced, overrated. Stepping out of the car you feel like you are on a different planet. The staff have been shipped in from behind the iron curtain, the prices are from Harrods and the food is from hell. The fuel is more expensive than gold and the premises are by and large as appealing as Preston bus station.
To suggest that what we have now is satisfactory is a violation of the trade descriptions act. The best thing about them is that the one I use has a service road that gets me off the motorway 3 miles closer to my house than the nearest exit!
Oh, and this does not include Tebay who are a little expensive but far higher quality.
Mrs Trellis (44), that was really useful, I couldn't find the beach quickly either. Doh. It's been a long day. How do you do that underliney linky thing? Mind you I've been struggling setting up a new email account for workstuff, and getting woefully bogged down even with that....
ValP (49) I thought it was just me. It's deeply reassuring to find that I'm not alone :-)
Apropos the businessplantypethingy that we were finding common ground about a while ago, it seems that mine's suddenly becoming rather more than a theoretical exercise. Am now going to have to prove that I can walk as well as I can talk. Eek.
BigSis (45) not any more I'm not. Does that mean I can join in again now?
xx
Oh! Mea culpa?
Did my complaining bring a
Strapline in foreign?
Attn: Richard and Eddie Mair,
Hello Boys,
This was sub-mutted by Robbie and his owner on the beach in the early hours?
I thought, just incase, I'd bring further up in the logs.
any ideas ?
.............................................................
Much as I really love your company and wit I'm afraid this is probably the last contribution that I will make on the blog.
It simply takes too long for contributions to get through. Can't blame the broadband because it is very fast here. All posted messages today seemed to take two hours - some haven't appeared. It seems to take ages for all messages to get through and by the time they arrive the discussion is cold and the comment is lost or irrelevant.
Who knows? You may never see this anyway.
Fifi - you are a marvellous mad person.
Annasee - I listened to your CD today - wonderful!
Big Sister - You really do sound like my big sister.
Lady Penelope - thank you.
Ed - keep broadcasting.
Valery P. - apologies for the Council eviction but i saw it so clearly in my head.
To all the other regulars and everyone who may have enjoyed the "hongweed" and the "BreakingNews" stories, thank you.
I will be watching you though.
RobbieDo - real name John but there were too many of them already - Robbie is my dog!
What is this thing about M&S? Off the motorway they're not cheap and you queue for hours. (a local Food branch put in more tills. But they didn't bring in more cashiers...) They don't really like vegetarians. They think making food richer makes it more desirable.
On the motorway - apart from sandwiches, what do M&S offer that you can eat then and there? (Or have I missed something?) And you queue there too.
As for motorway stops - I have a taste now and again for late night seediness, but that doesn't seem to be what exactly what the managers had in mind. (And I'll do anything to avoid their inflated petrol prices)
Did think Costa might be okay, but the food is often stale. And cold croissants?
Who said trains? I've spent too much time trying to find standing space in the end of carriage bit on a Virgin train to want to do much of that. And as for food on a train, or loos on a train, even motorway stops are better.
Expensive.
Motorway service stations are ok for what they are and nothing more. They have a very captive audience (i.e. those drivers unwilling to drive off the motorway for 50metres to find the nearest pub lunch) and they have copious amounts of toilets and caffeine. Nothing more is needed when you are driving.
Of course the price is a different situation but it's down to the captive audience thing again. We generally pack our own food and drink for a long journey and then use the service station's facilities, which thankfully are still free.
Robbiedo
Please don't go. I laughed so much at your son's story - and commented, but it got lost.
You really do brighten up my day, and as one who works at home alone the occasional drop in to this frog is so much more fun than other displacement activity - cleaning the dishwasher filter for example.
As for you being behind the Breaking News... what a hoot.
You really will be missed
On my way home from Germany in the summer I found that fuel was cheaper at Reading Services than it was at Tesco in Dover. What's that all about? Don't these places know they're supposed to be ripping me off?
what do I think of service stations? mmm, putting my "mummy" head on (PS Annasee - am guilty of the "irritable parents" and "whinging children" bit from time to time but my kids are reasonably e-number free most of the time LOL!) - the Moto (I think its them) ones are not bad - free nappies, wipes etc - quite baby friendly really. Other than that - have to pretty much concur with what everyone else has said - the are indeed fairly foul places, particularly in comparison to the French ones (incidentally a slight side note to those who do drive regularly in France, what do you think of those random sculpture type things that appear at the side of motorways? There is a particularly wonderful one by a service station on the motorway that runs along the Pyrenees (the A64?), its a Tour de France themed one, and its a wonderful piece of road side art!). Anyway apologies I digressed! Back to the topic - yes fairly foul places (Tebay also used to get my custom when driving up North). Way overpriced and full of junk food! that's it really!
As I listened to that dreadful Sir M (was he taking the proverbial by focussing on signage at Welcome Break - unbelievable) I was driving down the M11. Earlier I had stopped at Bishop Storford services and bought a cup of coffee for £2.35. I would loved to have poured it over his head - totally undrinkable. What did he do to get his knighthood? Trash for Cash?
I think you should tell us today Eddie ?
It's unfair to keep us hanging on threads.
Jonnie (52). Don't go! We don't know why that's happening but I'll email Richard and ask. Sorry for the hassles. We'll try to fix.
And... to my knowledge we are still none the wiser to Valery Singletons visit to the PM desk ? Nurse Quinn implied that she was just visiting old friends.
It's all getting very mysterious.
Very quiet on all threads this morning.
End of the week-itis or another bloggage?
I see Eddie is getting Richard on the case.
GO Richard!
Jonnie (52) For RobbieDo
SIT! ... STAY! ... STAY! ... Staaaaaaaay ...
There's a Good Boy!
Chocy-drop?
Anne P (63). This is typical! When I have a really busy day at work, Eddie is starting new threads at 5:30am and I don't get a chance to join in. When I'm sitting waiting for something to happen there's nothing going on.
Come one, Eddie - there must be SOME news, somewhere.
Re: Charles :-
Did you hear your comment read out on the world service in the week ?
(52) Robbiedo...
It's only mild blogstipation - it'll clear up soon. Do stay.
Poor Judith,
Well we could anticipate the PM Programme ?
Probably a bit of kids and alcohol, maybe a tad on Children in Need, and a round-up of comments.
Must be tough for Manveen on a Friday
Oh RobbieDo, don't go. I heartily echo Anne P (no relation)'s sentiments. A person can go ga-ga being home alone all day in a rural setting, no matter how busy they, technically, ought to be being, There now you've made me come over all ungrammatical....
I do agree, however, with RobbieJohn's reasons, I know we have discussed, from Day One that this is not intended to be a chat room - but by golly if that's what it has developed into then can't the techies do something about speed etc?
RobJohn, I know you and I had a chat about things ephemeral, but actually I really don't like change and losing people....
Lady P - dying to hear more! My stuff is moving on too, and I'm adding another string to my vest as from this week.
Oh,and BreakingNews, thanks for the memories!
OK Jonnie. I have asked, and this is the response...from head of blogs (or something), as a direct result of your comment:
"The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Blogs, including PM, are part of a trial that's helping the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to learn more about blogging, how audiences react to our blogs and about the software used to publish blogs.
With regards to the last of those, we've found that although the blogging platform we've selected for the trial is perfectly fine (most of the time!) for publishing content, the comments system doesn't really meet our requirements. Our developers spent some time making customisations to the system before we launched but those customisations haven't resolved all the shortcomings and may also have introduced some instability to the system.
The reason comments take up to an hour or two to appear is because, at present, the technical constraints of the system only allow us to pre-moderate comments. This means that all comments are manually checked by a real live person before they are published.
At peak times of the day, the moderation system itself becomes heavily loaded with, across the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s whole network of blogs, up to several comments a second coming in. As the moderation system fills with messages pending approval, it begins to slow down and the moderators can sometimes find themselves waiting several minutes for each page of pending posts to load.
We realise that this is far too slow for many participants and are working on the development and integration of a bespoke comment system that is faster, more stable and has all sorts of features that we feel are missing from our current offering. Because the number of comments being submitted increases almost by the day, we need to ensure that the new system scales well and, because of this, it's going to take a few months to build and test it thoroughly. Our current plan is to have a beta version live somewhere on bbc.co.uk in mid-January with roll-out likely to be in February or March.
In the meantime, I sincerely hope you'll stick with us. It might help to try, if you can, to avoid posting comments at peak times of the day - usually around first thing in the morning, lunch time, and end of the day, as well as during or immediately following the broadcast of the show. I realise, of course, that this might not be practical for you and certainly isn't an ideal solution but hope that you understand that applying more plasters to temporarily resolve the current issues would simply mean reducing the amount of time and effort we have to implement a long term solution. But do let me reassure you that we will get there in the end!"
That was from Robin. It doesn't solve things, I know...but if it's any help, the success of the PM blog in particular might help us lever some more money/volume/help etc. I'm personally really sorry that you, other froggers...and for that matter I have trouble with this from time to time. I hope the benefits will continue to outweigh the problems. Best wishes, Eddie.
Lumps o' Puddin'.
Last Winter, sat cosy eating locally produced sausage and mash and fine coffee beside a sunny window watching the ducks on the iced-over pond before a mountain panorama.
Don't stop til Tebay.
Yes, thanks Jonnie. I did hear it and thought it quite funny as the comment they read was really just a reply to someone else rather than a general comment. They also read out another comment from Gossipmistress from here. I did reply to you on one of the threads, thanking you for the tip and passing on my disappointment that they didn't call you in the end. It just goes to show that with all these different conversations on different threads, it can be quite difficult to keep up to date. It's just too darn popular!
Stay! (Hahaha - Charles, that was funny!) You do have to, tho', RobbieDo.
And, if you hold your nerve, I can see the DG being next in line to plead - after that, who knows? The PM?
Your explanation of "RobbieDo" has caused me to have a reassessment. If it's "Robbie Dog", does that mean that from your point of view, it's pronounced "RobbieDo...(g)" without the 'g'? As opposed to "RobbieDoo" - both are plausible because I can imagine you picking up RobbieDoo when you're out walking Robbie, using your DoggyDoo bags...
Yours, confused.
"String to my vest" Fantastic Val, I'll add that to my list of sayings which confuse people ("top of the milk to you" in an Irish accent does it for me too, for some reason).
Motorway Service Stations? Ghastly places, noisy, and the loos are always at the back, so you have to run the gamut of shreiking machines and miserable fast-food outlets with, generally, miserable staff. Can't be fun working in such places.
The only plus point, sometimes, is to hear the local accents as you make your way up/down the country.
Lady P : I could do with a BP at the moment, can I borrow yours? :)
jonnie (68), at least you didn't say "Must be hard for Manveen on a Friday"
Motorway Service Stations.
Why is it the teapots don't work?
Blog moderators
Re: Eddie Mair (70)
Thanks Eddie, it's all very re-assuring that you take such an interest. Did seem strange how it was affecting John (RobbieDo) in N. Ireland and not the bulk of us. Wonder what these moderators make of it all ?
If you are a moderator Thank You for all the work you do.
I'll make sure in future I don't post comments at the peak times then.
Re: Charles (73) Sorry Charles, I must have missed your answer, I may go back and have a look around.
Re: John H (79) Oooh you are awful, but I like you (as Dick E once said)
Eddie (70):
Thanks for that. Now I personally feel less like a saddo addicted to increasingly slow conversations with a bunch of people I've never met.
And more like a pioneer, assisting the best and most venerable broadcasting organisation as it ventures into brand new territory.
I'll keep on with the lilypad thing then. There are currently ten of us, discussing ways that the blog might be enhanced or made more user-friendly ... not necessarily involving any ´óÏó´«Ã½ resource, although we're not ruling anything out yet.
I'll continue posting updates on the first new thread of each day, along with how to join in if you feel so inclined.
Who was it asked how you do the clever links thingy? Was it you Val?
I found out by complete accident. Here's how:
1. Go to the website you want to link to
2. Copy the entire URL from the window at the top of the screen, on to the Clipboard
3. Go to where you're blogging
4. Paste it in
Now, it just looks rubbish. But when it eventually clears the frogerator, the code has all magically come with it!
You can even use it to lead your fellow froggers to a different thread on the blog!
1. Motorway Service Areas: I agree with Sir Trash 4 Cash about the signs. The circular ones on M4 Reading catch me out every time, with the result that I have to go round again. Of course the toilets are at the back - otherwise we'd never buy anything.
Plus point is local accents? Higher up I read that they are all from Eastern Europe.
Seems pointless to me if you bolt along at 70 mph for 140 miles, then have to wait ages for service. Does explain why the Wide Load you overtook ages ago is in front of you again, of course.
2. Robbie: DOOO NOTTTTT GGGO. Just choose your moments carefully.
3. Blog modifications: I don't know what you are planning, but please don't go to the kind of "Discussion Threads" where comments on, say, message 43 go off on a link of their own. They take far too long to read.
Thanks.
Eddie,
Thanks for the lengthy explanations. Nice to know we are at the cutting edge...shame about the growing pains
Perhaps Fifi's off-blog team could put together a list of nice-to-haves for the developers?
I for one would find some kind of search facility helpful in tracking down earlier comments/threads/froggers. I assume that this would require the ability to dynamically index the blog which may be technically difficult?
Anyway - more power to everyone's elbows, and I for one will continue to hang in there.
RobbieDo, I did wonder where your name originated, and how it ought to be pronounced. I have a very special soft spot for anyone called John, so will be even more upset than I first thought if you don't come back.
Would you make a girl cry? Deliberately?
I keep on coming even though Eddie ignores me. Look at how much he loves you! You can't go now...
Along with everyone else - please don't go Robbiedo! Your cd is going in the post today. It should calm your nerves.
I've just been to the supermarket, (name rhymes with stainberries) where in the breakfast cereal dept I found the intringuingly-named"Adult Cereal" section signposted. Naturally I had to investigate, as my mind couldn't conjure up a picture to fit with the title.
Want to know what's in the "Adult Cereal" section? (You know you do)
Bran. In many different forms. How exciting is that?
What sort of forms Annasee? Bran disguised as a plumber? Bran dressed as a quiet librarian with a wild side which is displayed when she lets her hair down? Bran with a whip and stilettoes? Bran blindfolded with its hands tied to the headboard?
Suddenly I feel I've given this too much thought....
Adult cereal doesn't come with a free-inside thing, that's all I know.
I wonder what they could put in though? ;)
Annasee (84), Is it Bran reading some of the racier literature - Lady Chatterley, Kama S*tra, for example. In installments, of course.
Tebay is fab, & all the people who go there seem to be lovely, as well as being your listeners Eddie! Ergo all PM listeners are lovely; I did logic you know, & just knew it would come in handy sometime.
Drinks:
"Bran with a whip and stilettos? Bran blindfolded with its hands tied to the headboard?"
I think this tell us more than you intended. Or perhaps not. Did I mention that I'm called 'John'?
[oh, stop it...]
Appy - you WERE watching that programme last night then!!! Also - please re-read your post at 83, I'm surprised the double-entendre police haven't been after you for that yet. Where is John W today then? March yourself off to the Beach and dig a Naughty corner (golly, I actually put summat else there, but re-read it in time).
I'll get my coat now.
Andycr - thanks pal, anything to cheer you up. Btw BP's are me.
Appy (85), I'm flabbergasted! My flabber has never been so gasted!! :p I guess I should refrain from saying any more!!
Has she slunk away Fearless?
Hi people - well I guess there ARE benefits with posting at midnight then!! poor sod who has to moderate my nonsense at midnight though (sorry to whoever you are).
RobbieDo - as with everyone else it'd be sad for someone to leave the room cos they can't be heard. Let's see if we can move you out of the alcove (c'mon people shove up a bit...)
[though not nearly as funny an allusion as Charles H but then I never am]
Thankyou Eddie as this blog is especially useful as a conduit for behind-the-scenes- information.
um.... darn, now can't remember what I was going to write.... I'm sure there was some point to this....
oh yeah - Val P thanks - that's why I posted.
Aperitif - really - I'm surprised you come here at all....
Aperitif - well I don't think my S**nsb*rys is quite as racy as yours, by the sound of it.
Although as the store has just had a big makeover ("Adult Cereals" didn't exist pre the makeover, I'm sure) it may be that they are breaking us in gently - next time I go in there may well be everything you mentioned.
If so, I will let you all know address - perhaps there could be a group bloggers outing to the Adult Cereal
Department. Can you imagine the store supervisor's face, if a coach load of sightseers appeared to take photos? I'm surprised no-one has thought of it before!
I am a truck driver working out of the Port of Felixstowe, I deliver containers throughout mainland U.K and in the course of my working week in which I can cover some 3000km's (1900 miles), I have cause to make use of motorway service areas (MSA's) and I find them on the most part to be expensive, unfriendly (to truckers) and all too often, dirty, overnight parking is on average £15.00 per night, something that in mainland european MSA's is unheard of, truckers are not charged to park.
As a trucker, I would like to see more dedicated truck stops with secure parking and affordable quality food and drink, how can anyone justify £2.49 for a cup of coffee, IT'S A BLOODY PETROL STATION FOR GODS' SAKE, NOT SOME PONSEY LONDON COFFEE SHOP, I think it is about time that government took the matter in hand and began to regulate these places and impose price restrictions, the public have been ripped off for far too long and it is about time that this changed.
Re Graham (96)
Hi Graham, Nice to hear from you.
Please post your suggestions as we could all benefit.
When 'blog' admin people headed by Fifi, et al get together it will be a nice link. Best stop-offs ? We can discuss it ?
Are we in agreement ?
We will end up by beating the Yellow pages !
PM = Classy content ? (well sometimes)
Valery P. !!!! (90) - I was trying to be mildly crude, but I didn't spot that!
Guess Drinks has had her Friday moment then - explains her absence...
Oh dear, oh dear. Had my Friday moment? If you call going to a board meeting then out for a meal with fellow board members and talking a lot of shop a "moment" then OK.
Valery! (But, OK, I wish!) I've heard it said that some things to which you all (Val, Fearless, Annasee) appear to be alluding are like oxygen, in that they only take on any significance when one isn't getting any...
Now I'll slink away...
Whisht, why wouldn't I come here?
99 - oh heck, she's at it again...
Hey, silver-fox,
(on "A pretty" which isn't accepting posts)
Nice uniform.
Whisht - 94 - you are welcome, I'm sure. Why?
:o)
Val P and Aperitif - I can't go into what I'm on about as I'm too embarressed meself.
don't worry - just my smutty mind!
#
:¬)
#
x
Valery, FF et al, I refrained from comment, as Aper. refrained during my unintended bout of double-entendres.
In any case I was at the barbeque on the beach all last night, cooking for the nice little friday night party.
Graeme (96), do tell us more from your perspective. I may think MSAs, as overpriced etc, but I don't rely on them for the safe and proper conduct of my business, as I guess you do. Someone else earlier on commented on the fuel prices at the ports and these MSAs, compared to local prices.
Ok then - I consider myself admonished.
Spoilsports.
Whisht, you are going to have to explain, embarrassed or not. Why would you be surprised that I come here (or were you being that smutty? In which case, I would remind you of the existence of the lovely Eric, not to mention lots of handsome young chaps like yourself). And for what were you thanking Valery? For her especially rude one, pointing out my little faux pas? Or am I being too rude now? Blush all you want, but I need to know...
Aperitif,
um, yes.
i was being that rude.....
but why remind me of the lovely Eric and other chaps?
now I'm confused and thin the smut has crossed wires with some other comment.
Can I drop this now pllleeeeaaasssee????
Its difficult to type with blushing fingers...
[I've just realised that you may have thought - for only a few seconds at most I trust - that I was questioning you being on the blog! aw c'mon, you know I want you here. Especially to someone who's said such nice things to me - I really appreciate it. Now, can we draw a line in the sand...? there's a thought.... I'll get you an ice cream for the beach....]
:¬)
Whisht, thank you for the ice cream and, yes, OK, let's draw that line. Although... just before it I want to say that I'm glad you were being naughty rather than questionning my presence. And, in referencing Eric and other handsome chaps, you may choose for yourself - was I explaining why or how I come here - I was answering your query anyway... ;-)
Aperitif - honestly, I can't believe you would think I'd question your presence here??!?!?!
I mean, really. Would I ever say that?? and I am not being ironic. honestly, tone is hard enough in text but I don't think I'd ever be deliberately rude to anyone.
and you've said such nice things to me... I just wouldn't.
now, as for that patricia woman......
Sorry Aps and Whisht, what did I start?
It was that Friday Feeling, honest ;o)
Oh, Whisht, I didn't think you were being rude-unkind, but rude-smutty. Which is fine - I've been in that mood myself for a while now. (Ref my comments above...)
Now Valery, on the other hand - I've long been jealous of your Fridays...
The main problem with UK MSAs is the government regulation which requires the free facilities (toilets, parking, picnic areas, etc), as well as the full cost of constructing access to/from the motorway, to be paid for by the site operator. That means hiking the prices of food and shop products in order to cross-subsidese them. A far better system, in my opinion, would be that in use in the majority of European countries where the equivalent of the Highways Agency provides (and pays for) the basic site and then sublets catering and retail outlets to individual providers. That way, the cost of the free facilities is borne by all road users, and people who actually buy things are only paying normal shop prices.
Appy - tee hee!
Mark (112), I'd rather government and its agencies spent tax revenues on improvements to public transport than subsidies for motorway services. No one is forced to purchase from the latter, after all.
Service stations aren't really a neccessary evil - a little careful planning goes a long way in avoiding their use. I object to the way in which they think they've got motorists over a barrel - and to some extent the earlier comments here suggest they're right. I object to the prices and the quality of service. A few weeks ago I drove down the M1 with a slightly deflated tyre which I hadn't noticed before I set off. I stopped at every service station along the way and not one of them had an air supply that was working, but they were all happy to charge more than anywhere else in the country for petrol.
I missed a lot of this stuff at the time - probably just as well.
Servicestations are wonderful places. How else do you get away from your driver on the M4 and buy your chocolate et c. People seem to enjoy their food although it looks pretty ghastly to me.
ps perhaps I'm too late to add my little comment, but I'm getting there.........
Who honestly wants to stop at the services in order to be hassled by people trying to sell you a credit card?
Or who goes - 'I hope there are some services soon, because I really need to buy some shortbread biscuits in a tacky tin and a remote control plastic dinosaur.'
I suppose this is what you end up with when there is no choice.
I should say - except M&S, but why don't they sell wine?!! I'm hardly going to drink it behind the wheel am I?! But when I'm late home, it is good to be able to stop en route for our dinner. But if we want wine, I have to go and find a shop somewhere else. Mental...